European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Members have helped deliver record-breaking broadcast figures for the 2024 European Athletics Championships, with preliminary data indicating that tens of millions engaged with Roma 2024 via television, radio, and digital platforms.

Despite direct competition from the French Open Tennis finals and pre-tournament friendlies ahead of the Euro 2024 football tournament, Roma 2024 attracted substantial audiences throughout the Championships, held from 7-12 June.

The EBU served as the host broadcaster for the event, providing coverage for at least 35 broadcasters, including 33 EBU Members on traditional linear television.

In total, more than 1,200 hours of live coverage were delivered across television and streaming platforms, including the European Athletics website. Additionally, worldwide coverage was broadcast free via the EBU’s new streaming platform, Eurovision Sport, providing fans with a comprehensive viewing experience.

In the host nation, viewing figures rose throughout the event, with an estimated 4.7 million people tuning in to see Gianmarco Tamberi win the men’s high jump across two channels on Tuesday, 11 June, contributing to a record 11 gold medals for Italy.

Additional highlights based on preliminary audience figures include*:

- In Germany, ZDF saw a peak of 6.6 million viewers watched the final night of action on Wednesday, 12 June, a 10% increase from Munich 2022.

- In Scandinavia, the European Athletics Championships continued to be enormously popular, reaching an average of 50% of the television audience share in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. On the final night, this figure peaked at 71% in Sweden to watch Mondo Duplantis set a new championship record in the men’s pole vault.

- In Sweden, SVT reported a total reach for the whole event, both linear and online, of 4 million.

On social platforms, an estimated 65 million fans were reached across multiple channels, with European Athletics gaining 77,000 followers collectively across the Championships. Additionally, european-athletics.com saw a significant increase in visitors, aided by Eurovision Sport and the live stream embedded on the website.

The excitement at Roma 2024 was also evident in the stadium. Sergio Mattarella, the President of Italy, attended the Championships on 11 June and was so impressed that he returned the following evening. He said: "I committed an infringement of the official protocol, going a second time to the same event at the stadium, but I assure you that it was worth it.”

The growing numbers demonstrate the success of several objectives in the European Athletics Strategic Roadmap 2024-2027, which includes a commitment to “strengthen the European Championships, attracting the best athletes and creating the best possible event for fans, sponsors, and broadcasters alike.”

The figures also reflect the objectives of Eurovision Sport in complementing the power of public service media brands, democratizing access to live sports coverage, helping to grow individual sports through visibility and engagement, and supporting greater participation.

European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov said: “These early numbers are very encouraging. If we are to continue to grow our wonderful sport, it is very important that we increase visibility and engagement with our showpiece event, the European Athletics Championships.

“In the European Athletics Strategic Roadmap 2024-2027, we have made competition, digitalization, and innovation key priorities. These priorities were truly brought to life at Roma 2024.

“The European Athletics Championships are our showpiece event. To be a spectacle that excites audiences, we need the best athletes delivering the best performances, and that was certainly true at Roma 2024.

“By innovating through streaming services with our partnership with the EBU and expanding our social media offering, we have been able to make our sport more accessible and meet the demands of existing and new fans alike. This is helping to reach and engage bigger audiences across Europe and support the hard work of our Member Federations in growing the sport in each nation.

“We will continue to evolve and develop each programme and work towards continual growth across every European Athletics event, with an eye always on the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships.”

Glen Killane, Executive Director of Sport, EBU said: “These remarkable broadcast numbers for Roma 2024 are a testament to the unwavering support from our EBU Members and their commitment to ensuring that athletics reaches millions of fans across Europe, both old and new.

“By enhancing our broadcasting capabilities and leveraging digital offerings such as our Eurovision Sport streaming platform, we have been able to make the European Athletics Championships more accessible than ever. This collaboration with European Athletics is key to growing the sport and providing comprehensive coverage that meets the demands of today’s audiences. We will continue to innovate and work together to deliver exceptional sports experiences.”

*Sources: Germany – ARD/ZDF - AGF Videoforschung / Italy : RAI - Auditel / Nielsen / Finland: YLE - Finnpanel Oy / Sweden: SVT – MMS / Norway: NRK - Kantar Media